A local nonprofit that lends tools for a low cost to Lane County residents has received grant dollars from a state agency. And it’s planning to use that money to expand. KLCC’s Deonna Anderson reports.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Portland and Western Railroad Company are continuing work to clean up about 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled in Junction City, Tuesday. A locomotive ran over a rail clamp which was left on the tracks by a maintenance crew, causing the accident near Holly and 12th Streets. DEQ Spokesman Dave Balyea says there doesn't seem to be any wildlife or plant life affected.

A 2 thousand acre wildfire near Estacada is creating unhealthy air quality in many parts of Oregon. The Department of Environmental Quality says the impacted areas range from Portland to the Southern Willamette Valley and will likely continue until Wednesday morning. DEQ spokesman Greg Svelund says if people need to know the air quality in their area, sometimes it's best to look outside.

Lane County Emergency Management has been notified by the Department of Environmental Quality the lab results for the water samples taken from the confluence of the Springfield Mill Race and Willamette River at Island Park down to Alton Baker Park do not show any past or present public health threat. The advisory to stay out of the water has been canceled as of Sunday (7/20) morning.

An abnormal number of fish deaths prompted the State of Oregon to warn people from eating the fish or going in the water Friday. The cause of the fish deaths is still unknown.

An abnormal number of fish deaths prompted the State of Oregon to warn people from eating fish or going in the water at the confluence of the Springfield Mill Race and Willamette River at Island Park down to Alton Baker Park.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality says dead fish have been showing up in the area and the cause of death is unknown at this time. As a precaution, people are warned to avoid the river water until more information is released. Dead fish or live ones caught in the area should not be consumed.

Monroe will begin the planning stages of a new stormwater master plan thanks to a loan from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Monroe's sewer system overflows periodically after heavy rains. Sometimes this sends untreated sewage into the Long Tom River that flows into the Willamette. A new planning loan from the Oregon DEQ allows Monroe officials to begin investigating ways to improve the system and solve the problem.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has fined a Eugene Springfield sewage treatment company for a spill that occurred during a harsh February storm.

Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission was fined $7,800 dollars for releasing approximately 54,000 gallons of sludge into a drainage ditch connected to Flat Creek. The reason for the overflow was a pump failure caused by a power outage. Esther Westbrook is a Compliance and Enforcement Officer for the Oregon DEQ.

Since 2009 the Oregon Electronic Recycling Program, or E-Cycles, has collected more than 120 million pounds of potential electronic waste for recycling. The program is poised to expand collection locations and the types of devices it recycles.

More oil is moving along Northwest railways. The Bakken Oil fields of North Dakota are booming. But Bakken oil is explosive at relatively low temperatures. There have been several oil train accidents since the boom began, one of them costing the lives of 47 people in Quebec.

That’s prompted KUOW’s EarthFix team to take a look at how prepared the Northwest is for the rise of oil train traffic. Ashley Ahearn reports.